Sardinia Part 2

Onwards in Sardinia

So after our restful two days at the campsite we decided to golfo aranci as there are some very nice beaches there, including some you can only get to by boat or a very long walk. As our kayak was fixed we decided that we could use that and we arrived at Cala fuli unpacked the car and hiked down to the beach. We pumped up the kayak and headed out for the 4km paddle but after we reached about 1km we realised the boat wasn’t fixed and that we needed to head back quickly. We paddled like our life depended on it (well it did really) and after a concerning 10 minutes we managed to get back to shore with a deflated kayak and an even more deflated Rich! We decided to cut our losses and have some lunch and a swim before heading off again. 

Our guide from canonying had told us about a totally natural thermal spa about an hour in land so we decided to head there next. We knew that this place was hidden somewhat from the directions given to us by the Stefano but we turned up at a gate and looked around but couldn’t see anything but  farmers fields full of cows. However there was a car parked at the bottom and as we parked another car parked as well. A little Italian man got out of the other car and headed down the path so we decided to follow him. A couple of minutes later we arrive in a field and I spot 2 other people behind some reeds and they seem to be coming towards us. We head over to the area they have just left and there behind the tall reeds is a small square pool with a sandy bottom and stone walls. The pool is about knee deep but there are large stones in there for you to sit on and once sat the water comes up to chest height.  Talking of the water, it is lovely and hot (although as it is heated by sulphur there is a slight eggy smell to it). We relax in the pool for a good twenty minutes before deciding to let the Italian (who had patiently waited for us to finish) have his go, he could have fitted in the pool with us but decided to wait until we were finished. We returned to the van and decided that it looked quiet enough to stay here the night and that way we could head back in the dark when we would really appreciate the heat of the pool. We decided it was also the perfect time to open the last bottle of champagne from France.  Over the next hour, while we sorted out the van and had dinner, a number of cars turned up and visited the spa, it was funny to watch just how popular it was and it appeared to be all ages turning up. Once it was twilight and the pool was finally quiet we headed back with our bottle of champagne and torches to the pool, it was definitely a bit creepy to start with as all you could hear were the cow bells in the distance but we soon got used to it and relaxed in the pool. The sky was quickly getting darker and the stars began to appear and it was a beautiful place to be. Once we were fully boiled we headed back to the van and to bed but little did we know that would be the end of the visits, they carried on till about 4am and then started again at about 6am. It didn’t keep us awake too much but it was amusing to find out how popular this local spot was.  

The next morning we headed south to a town called Orgosolo which is famous for its graffiti which was started as a school project by a professor at the local university in the 1970s. Over the years more murals have been added and now the town is covered in them, they are on most buildings and around most corners. Many of them have a political basis (like the one of Obama), some of them depict world events, like 9/11 and the earthquake in Aquila and some of them are just beautiful artwork.  We spent all morning walking around the town and finding the different murals and saw so many but I think it would take a couple of days to see them all. As it was soo hot and we were tired after all the walking we headed out to the local national park, seeing wild cows and horses on the way. We decided to partake in a siesta before deciding what to do next. Rich decided that he wanted to climb the highest peak in Sardinia but unfortunately (or should I say thankfully) we had driven too far south to do it. So instead we headed back to the beach where we relaxed for the evening with homemade dinner, wine and of course ice cream. 

The next morning we headed to a set of beaches called Costa Rei which I had heard were good for snorkelling. We spent the day by the sea and did get some good snorkelling in and then we did some planning for the next couple of days which included buying our ferry tickets to get to Italy and to get to Greece. The next morning we were up early for a horse ride along the beach which was lovely even if my horse decided he wasn’t going to walk at any speed. Luckily for Rich, who has never ridden before, his horse did seem to do what it was told. After an hours trek we headed on southwards to another beach called Monte Turno, for more swimming and snorkelling. After a day on the beach we headed to the area where we had booked a restaurant for the evening to see if there was anywhere we would camp. We found a small spot we could fit the camper and parked up before getting ready for dinner at another argiturismo (this one is the number 3 restaurant in all of Sardinia, according to tripadvisor). For this meal we again had so many courses it was hard to keep up but it was all delicious especially the little vegetable bites and the ravioli. We drank a fair bit of wine as we didn’t have to ride or drive anywhere and by the time we finished we could bare waddle down the road.

The next morning we headed further south again to another beach but when we turned up we saw more people going than arriving which is odd for a Sunday so we decided to walk down and see what was going on. We soon found out why people were leaving, it appeared that someone was doing work on the beach which meant there were huge piles of sand and some seaweed piled up. We decided to get back in the car and head further south to Porto Giunco which is backed by a lake habited by more of the pink flamingos. We spent the morning on the beach, swimming and snorkelling before deciding to head the 3km to the nearest town on bikes to get some food. We managed to find a cafe for lunch and even managed to watch the beginning of the F1 before heading for ice cream and then riding back to the beach for the afternoon. Finally we got back in the van and headed south to a beach where we could sleep for the evening. 

The next morning, our last in Sardinia we headed to a beach about halfway to Cagliari for the morning before we had to head to the main city and board the boat for the mainland. This would be another 13 hour overnight trip but hopefully we are more prepared this time. We have food, sleeping bags and pillows, games and warm clothes. I think we over-packed (we have 4 bags between the two of us) but better to be safe than sorry!